UPDATE: Walmart's proposed grocery store draws critics

Neighbors of planned shop at Bee Ridge and Beneva roads worry about traffic.

By ZAC ANDERSON

It's becoming a familiar story in Sarasota County: Another proposed Walmart, another wave of community opposition.

A week after angry residents convinced Sarasota city leaders to reject the retail chain's proposal for a new Supercenter on Ringling Boulevard, the company is confronting objections to a proposed 41,180-square-foot grocery store at Bee Ridge and Beneva roads.

Homeowners said the Ringling store would not be compatible with their neighborhood. Similar arguments will be made Wednesday before the Sarasota County Commission.

Traffic is the top concern.

Bee Ridge Road is already a busy six-lane interstate connector and the intersection with Beneva Road is one of the county's most congested.

Sharon Whalen lives in a condo nearby. Traffic backs up for blocks during peak travel times. Just leaving her complex can be an ordeal.

Whalen said she and her neighbors have gathered more than 300 signatures against the Walmart proposal for a four-acre parcel the currently holds a church.

“This just loads up a neighborhood that is already kind of feeling death by a thousand strikes,” she said. “We just don't need anymore.”

But the neighborhood's bustling commercialism may also work in Walmart's favor.

The 98,000-square-foot Ringling store was proposed for a largely residential area. Bee Ridge is mostly commercial. The intersection with Beneva already has a Publix, Starbucks and Walgreens.

County planners have recommended approval of the rezoning request to a commercial designation, citing the abundance of existing commercial development in the area.

Whalen believes the intersection needs a mix of high and low intensity uses. She notes the current zoning allows office, professional and institutional development, which she does not oppose.

“We've got traffic issues, we have safety issues,” she said. “Above all commissioners have a choice. They don't have to say yes to a zoning change."

Walmart has pursued three new stores for Sarasota County in recent years. The only one to open so far is on the edge of Newtown at U.S. 41 and Myrtle Street.

Walmart Spokesman William Wertz said the Newtown Neighborhood Market “filled a void in the city and brought residents a convenient, affordable shopping opportunity.”

Wertz said the store at Bee Ridge and Beneva would provide similar benefits and create 90 jobs.